ISS supports Across the Pond Veteran’s Park

Across the Pond Veteran's Park
Ray Kangas, Chairman of Across The Pond Veterans Park, accepts the donation from Robert Buran, President of ISS.
Ray Kangas, Chairman of Across The Pond Veterans Park, accepts the donation from Robert Buran, President of ISS.

January 2022:
In honor of our company’s Founder, Robert Buran, President, whose hometown is Iron River Wisconsin, ISS has chosen to donate the funds needed by the local Veteran’s Park to place benches along the trail that will connect the memorials for each conflict our military have served and sacrificed fighting. Learn more about Across the Pond Veteran’s Park.

Press Release:  ACROSS THE POND VETERANS PARK RECEIVES DONATION

 

An Iron River native, Robert Buran (Bob or Bobby to his friends and family here), through his company, Information Systems Solutions, Inc. (ISS), has donated the funds needed to place benches along the quarter mile pedestrian trail at the park.  Bob and Linda Houk, CEO of ISS, are both retired career US Air Force officers.  When asked what focus she wants their company to be credited, Linda said that “We support the war-fighter”.  ISS is providing real time information and intelligence to military personnel on the ground. This is accomplished through their company having their employees placed strategically around the world and the ability to deploy technical assistance as needed to accomplish their mission.

Veteran initiatives are a priority with ISS and each year, they donate to veteran causes around the country and have some specific organizations that they will match their employees’ donations.  Linda is a volunteer instructor with the National Veteran Institute for Procurement (http://nationalvip.org).  This program teaches veterans how to be entrepreneurs in the Federal marketplace. Bob and Linda are very successful and their impressive accomplishments can be viewed on the company’s website – www.issits.com.

The project being funded by ISS is the placement of benches along the trail.  The trail was funded in part by a grant from the Green Bay Packer Foundation and generally referred to as the “Packer Trail” by the Park Board of Directors.  It is for pedestrians and those with personal mobility devices only.  The benches will provide stops along the way for those who need a breather or just to sit and enjoy the natural setting.  This project will be one of the first on the schedule for 2022. Another funded project for the Spring is the installation of the “Vietnam Memorial” that was designed, made and donated by the artist.  The installation for the outdoor sculpture is funded by a grant from the Green Bay Packer Foundation. Plans call for a memorial for each conflict our veterans have served and sacrificed fighting.  These will be done as they are donated and/or funded. A spot in the park is already reserved for each one.

Pride of Baltimore

Terry Norling (front), Marketing Director and JDISS Senior Systems Engineer, assists the crew in overhauling the hull of the Pride.

February 2019: Information Systems Solutions helps refurbish the Pride of Baltimore, classed as a Tall Ship, while it is winter berthed at Fells Point. Our CEO, Linda Houk, and our Marketing Director Terry Norling and his wife Suzi, helped refurbish The Pride while it was dry-docked at Fells-Point (Baltimore) for the winter. Terry (foreground) assists one of the Pride’s crew members in scraping off the old coating and applying the exterior undercoat, while Linda and Suzi were assigned to sanding and cleaning the deck and rigging.

Linda’s interest in sailing manifested when her first duty assignment directly out of the Air Force’s Officer Training School sent her to a small detachment near San Francisco California, where sailing was a major sport. When asked to compare her experience on the San Francisco Bay versus at the Baltimore Harbor, she stated: “There’s no comparison – they’re both so different. I learned to sail a pleasure craft, a 20′ sailboat, and a two man crew was sufficient. The Pride of Baltimore is aptly named, a real beauty that rides so smoothly on the water, but it takes a dozen experienced crew members, and it is a true ocean-going vessel, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans also have their own distinct personalities.”

The Pride is a testimony to the shipbuilding expertise of Baltimore during our nation’s early history. Most notably, they gained their reputation as privateers during The War of 1812. The Baltimore Clippers were swift and maneuverable. This agility made them invaluable in eluding the more powerful, but slower British naval vessels.

Learn more about the Pride of Baltimore.